Getting rid of OnePlus: how a tablet’s leading the way

When it comes to this year’s new smartphones, Oppo gets the fancy new features while OnePlus remains on the same level as last year. In addition, it’s the first time that both are launching the same product – with different names, of course. OnePlus has lost the cool underdog image it had in the early years. And it looks like the brand could fade even further into the background in the future.

The slow road to irrelevance

In 2014, OnePlus was the first brand by BBK Electronics to hit markets in Europe. At the time, the Chinese corporation in the background remained unimportant. Instead, OnePlus embodied the image of a small start-up that challenges the big players in the industry. Launching one new device per year, their range was small and their smartphones were top notch in terms of features – all while costing significantly less than the competition’s top models.

In Asia and BBK’s home country of China, however, OnePlus didn’t play such a big role. Instead, Oppo, Vivo and Realme expanded their market shares in these regions. In 2018 at the latest, Vivo had caught the eye of many people as a sponsor of the Men’s Football World Cup. It was only after this event that these brands developed major activities in Europe alongside OnePlus. Oppo underpinned its ambition to be relevant in Europe by sponsoring UEFA competitions such as the Champions League from summer 2022 onwards.

Over the years, OnePlus has toned down its pattern of releasing one smartphone per year. First, the T models were added every six months. From 2020 onwards, the company also started launching mid-range and entry-level smartphones with its North series. OnePlus was moving closer to becoming a regular smartphone manufacturer – of which BBK’s portfolio includes another three.

The first device after merging

In July 2021, Oppo and OnePlus announced they were merging and would both continue to exist as brands. The merger was mainly to affect internal structures and software development – OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei had previously left the company and founded Nothing. By merging ColorOS and OxygenOS, BBK was hoping to offer longer update periods with less effort. However, both user interfaces remained in place.

Now the two brands have reached the point where they’ve melted with each other so much that they’re actually launching the same product. The OnePlus Pad and the Oppo Pad 2 are identical except for the case colour and the user interface.

The OnePlus Nord CE 2 already reminded me a lot of Oppo smartphones in terms of looks. But at the time, there wasn’t an Oppo model with the same features. The tablets, however, are identical – inside and out.

Although OnePlus got to introduce its tablet first, Oppo’s going on sale first. This indicates which brand is more important for the parent company BBK and which one only plays second fiddle.

The exciting technologies go to Oppo

The current top smartphones of the two brands also point towards Oppo’s privilege. The OnePlus 11 turned out to be a minimally improved version of the OnePlus 10 Pro. This doesn’t fit with the brand’s earlier claim to be a pioneer when it comes to new technologies.

The recently announced Oppo Find X6 Pro, however, is loaded with new technologies. Its main camera features a large 1-inch sensor and the telephoto camera boasts triple optical zoom. The display also stands out with a maximum brightness of 2500 nits. In another timeline, these would have been the features of the OnePlus 11.

At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, OnePlus was clearly just a guest in a small corner at Oppo’s stand. Oppo is denying the rumours that Oppo and OnePlus are pulling out of Europe for both brands. In this context, OnePlus speaks only for itself. That also hints at which brand is more important.

I’m more and more inclined to agree with Dominik Bärlocher: "Oppo is the big winner". OnePlus, on the other hand, is no longer a driver among smartphone manufacturers since the merger and has clearly lost relevance. OnePlus has announced to present the Nord CE 3 Lite on 4 April. I wouldn’t be surprised if Oppo launched an identical one soon after.

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